Raymond Monica’s debut as the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys’ head football coach will come at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, in a Great American Conference game at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Okla. (THE COURIER / Sean Ingram)

Raymond Monica will lead the Arkansas Tech University football program through an 11-game regular season schedule during his first season as the Wonder Boys’ head coach.

The 2013 ATU football team will play five home games and six road games. Ten of the Wonder Boys’ 11 games will be Great American Conference (GAC) contests.

The schedule for the 99th season of Arkansas Tech football was announced by the Arkansas Tech Department of Athletics on Wednesday.

Monica’s debut as Wonder Boys’ head coach will come on Thursday, Sept. 5, in a GAC contest at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Okla. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Arkansas Tech will make its 2013 home debut on Saturday, Sept. 14, when it hosts Southwestern Oklahoma State University for a 6 p.m. GAC contest at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field in Russellville.

The Wonder Boys will face a third consecutive GAC opponent from Oklahoma (6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Southern Nazarene University) before playing their lone non-conference game of the season — a 6 p.m. contest in Thibodaux, La., on Saturday, Sept. 28, against NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision member Nicholls State University.

Thibodaux is only 31 miles from Monica’s hometown of Garyville, La. Monica played at Nicholls State for one season before ultimately finishing his bachelor’s degree at the University of North Alabama.

The remainder of the away portion of the 2013 ATU football schedule will send the Wonder Boys to play at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5), Henderson State University (3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19) and East Central University (2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2).

In addition to Sept. 14 against Southwestern Oklahoma State, Arkansas Tech will also play home football games against Southern Arkansas University (6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12), Ouachita Baptist University (3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26), Southeastern Oklahoma State University (2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9) and Harding University (2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16).

Arkansas Tech Family Day 2013 will be celebrated on Oct. 12, while the 2013 ATU Homecoming football game is scheduled for Oct. 26.

The Wonder Boys have an all-time record of 531-351-41 (.598), and Tech is one of 10 NCAA Division II football programs with 530 or more all-time wins.

Arkansas Tech became the first football program in Arkansas to earn three NCAA Division II Playoffs berths (1999, 2004 and 2009), to host an NCAA D-II Playoffs game (2004) and to win an NCAA D-II Playoffs game (2004).